Chapter 17

On the morning of September 3, 1924, at 10 o'clock, in the camp of the First Division of Jiangsu Province in Yixing, thousands of soldiers of the First Division gathered at the starting position.

Wang Dashan was a new recruit in the First Division of Jiangsu Province, joining the army to have a full meal. In Wang Dashan's memory, military life meant waking up early and going to bed late, the whips of the officers, the soles of the veterans' shoes, always eating leftovers, and endless chores and laundry!

But this morning, everything changed. When fetching water, the squad leader smiled and said there was no need to work! During breakfast, there was actually meat in everyone's bowl! The most unbelievable thing was that he received 12 silver dollars as his military pay!!!

As a new recruit, Wang Dashan had never seen military pay before. From the morning, everything around him was different. Wang Dashan, who had never left the area within thirty miles of Wangjia Village before he turned 20, could not understand these changes. After eating the meat, he carried his gun and followed the troops, running to this forest where soldiers were densely packed!

The veterans gathered together, smoking and whispering. The new recruits were either drinking water or squeezing under the shade of trees. It was stiflingly hot in early September in the Jiangnan region, with the sun hanging in the sky, pouring out its heat.

The squad leader, with a cigarette in his mouth, squatted next to Wang Dashan and offered him a puff. "Cough, cough," Wang Dashan took a deep drag, feeling as if his lungs were on fire, his throat burning, and his nose and eyes streaming with tears.

"Ha ha ha..." The veterans around him laughed at the new recruit. The squad leader patted his back and, when Wang Dashan recovered, said, "When I shout 'charge,' just keep running forward. See that village ahead?" He pointed to the village a few miles away in front of the forest and continued, "That's Changxing in Zhejiang. Just charge in, and after the battle, I'll get you a pot of meat."

"Platoon leader, you're not lying to me?" Wang Dashan could still recall the delicious taste of the fatty meat from the morning.

"Don't worry, I'll make you eat until you're sick of it." The squad leader made the promise without hesitation.

Wang Dashan wanted to say something more, but suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet tremble. Then he saw a large cloud of dust rise from the rear, and whistling shells flew over his head, landing in the village ahead like hailstones in winter.

The dense shells landing in the village raised clouds of dust and fire, louder than the fireworks at the Wang family's New Year celebration, like thunder! The deafening explosions, the shaking earth, and the loud shouts of his comrades left Wang Dashan completely stunned!

After a few minutes, everything suddenly stopped, as if nothing had happened. The silence was terrifying. A shrill bugle call sounded, and countless soldiers shouted "Charge!" and surged towards the village like a swarm of ants.

Still dazed, Wang Dashan was kicked in the buttocks by the squad leader, who, with a fierce expression, shouted at him, "Charge, charge, charge!"

Wang Dashan ran forward like a rabbit chased by a hungry wolf, with only one thought in his mind: run forward, run forward.

As the dust in the village ahead cleared, a clear scene appeared before Wang Dashan. The ruins of houses, burning roofs, and the village looked like a ghost town. "No one's alive, right?" The thought had just crossed his mind when a sharp whistling sound came from above!

It was a familiar sound, just like the one he had heard earlier. The veterans immediately hit the ground, and Wang Dashan stepped on someone's back. Before he could react, dense shells exploded among the charging soldiers.

Dust flew, the earth shook, and the deafening explosions almost shattered his eardrums! Shrapnel and shock waves turned the area into a hell on earth. Blood and body parts flew everywhere.

Knocked to the ground by the shock wave, Wang Dashan felt as if he had been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. The intense pain made him scream. All he could hear was a ringing in his ears, and a wristwatch-carrying arm fell on his chest. The watch he had always envied went unnoticed; Wang Dashan's eyes were only on the arm, which was still trembling slightly!

To hell with the braised pork, to hell with the silver dollars. Feeling no pain in his chest and hearing nothing, Wang Dashan ran back like a madman, with only one thought in his mind: "I want to go home!" Behind him was a mass of retreating soldiers!

The war that swept across much of China and claimed countless lives and homes had begun!

Chen Diaoyuan, the commander of the Second Route of the Jiangsu Army, which included the Central 24th Division, the First Division of Jiangsu, the Second Mixed Brigade of Jiangsu, the Fifth Mixed Brigade of Jiangsu, and the Third Mixed Brigade of Henan, launched an attack on Changxing in Zhejiang. However, they encountered fierce resistance from the Zhejiang Army, and the attack was stalled. The Zhejiang Army and their artillery were hidden in the mountains near Changxing, just thirty miles from Yixing, and their artillery could directly bombard the Jiangsu Army near Yixing. However, the Jiangsu Army's artillery was less effective against the Zhejiang Army, who were entrenched in the mountains, and the Jiangsu Army suffered heavy casualties.

At 11 a.m. on September 3, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang armies clashed on the Shanghai-Nanjing railway line. At 10 a.m., the Jiangsu Army in Huangdu first fired at the Zhejiang Army, but the Zhejiang Army, hiding in their fortifications, did not return fire. The Jiangsu Army, thinking the Zhejiang Army was afraid to fight, launched an attack at 11 a.m. The Zhejiang Army responded with machine guns and artillery, killing four to five hundred Jiangsu soldiers. The Jiangsu Army, terrified, retreated in disarray, and the Zhejiang Army pursued them to Anting. By 5 p.m., they had occupied Anting.

Given that Qi Xiaoyuan had initiated the Jiang-Zhejiang War, on the evening of September 3, Lu Yongxiang issued a "Declaration of War," accusing Qi Xiaoyuan of "intending to disrupt public order, stationing troops, and attempting to achieve his goals." He stated, "All the people and places in Zhejiang and Shanghai cannot but strive to defend themselves, fulfilling the duties of soldiers and maintaining the permanent peace of the region." Lu Yongxiang then issued a "Proclamation Against Cao Kun," describing Cao as a "great villain," accusing him of "driving the East Sea away in the past and the Yellow River away in the present"; "the Lincheng incident, a national disgrace, has been criticized by neighbors... the negotiations ended in a humiliating manner"; "he dared to openly bribe for election, spreading ugliness, and disgracing the nation." The proclamation concluded, "We, as soldiers, have the responsibility to defend the country... to eliminate the chief villain, not to punish the coerced, to remove the traitors, and to lead the people, regardless of success or failure."

The next day, President Cao issued a "Decree to Punish Zhejiang," stating, "For the sake of suppressing violence and pacifying the people, it is impossible to listen to their deceit and let the people suffer. Lu Yongxiang and He Fenglin are stripped of their ranks and positions, and Qi Xiaoyuan is ordered to lead the troops to suppress them."

As the leader of the anti-Zhili alliance, Zhang Zuolin issued a proclamation against President Cao and Marshal Yu on the second day of the Jiang-Zhejiang War. He actively mobilized troops to prepare to attack the Zhili clique, personally organizing the "Pacification Army," serving as its commander, and dividing the Fengtian Army into six divisions, with a total of about 150,000 troops, moving towards Rehe and Shanhaiguan. The northern front was on the verge of war.

On the second day of the Jiang-Zhejiang War, Mr. Sun held a meeting at the Grand Marshal's Office in Guangzhou, declaring "aiding Zhejiang to preserve Guangdong" and decided to launch a northern expedition. The plan was to first attack Jiangxi, then advance down the Yangtze River to occupy Anhui, and finally meet the Zhejiang-Shanghai Allied Army in Nanjing, then move north along the Tianjin-Pukou Railway, join the Fengtian Army, and overthrow the Zhili clique. The next day, Mr. Sun issued a "Proclamation Against Cao Kun and Wu Peifu," calling on the people of Guangdong to "rise up, lead the people, eliminate the warlords, and achieve civilian governance." Thus, much of the country was engulfed in war.

The main battles between Jiangsu and Zhejiang took place in Yixing, the Shanghai-Nanjing line, Jiading, Liuhé, and Qingpu. After the war broke out, the Jiangsu Army's attack in Yixing was stalled, and they suffered heavy casualties, leading to low morale. On September 5, the Zhejiang Army counterattacked, firing thousands of shells at the Jiangsu Army's position in half an hour, advancing to within a few miles of Yixing, and causing the Jiangsu Army to retreat in disarray, with three battalions mutinying. On the evening of September 6, the two armies clashed in Anting, with both sides' aircraft joining the battle, but the situation remained deadlocked. On September 7, the Zhejiang Army occupied Shushan. Qi Xiaoyuan urgently dispatched the Fifth Mixed Brigade of Anhui to reinforce, finally stopping the Zhejiang Army. The dispatch of the Fifth Mixed Brigade from Wuhu to the front in Yixing left the Yangtze River region of Anhui Province vulnerable, and Gao Yang saw his opportunity.

The Anhui Security Brigade in Feng County was already on alert, with soldiers receiving weapons and ammunition and moving slowly towards Bengbu in units of battalions and regiments, followed by a long line of horse-drawn and ox-drawn carts. Gao Yang was still waiting, waiting for an important day.

On the Jiading front, on the evening of September 3, the Jiangsu Army attacked the west gate of Jiading, but the defenders could not hold, and the situation was critical. On September 4, the Zhejiang Army's Yang Huazhao unit, consisting of six battalions, was ordered to reinforce. On September 5, the two sides engaged in fierce battle. On September 6, the Jiangsu Army continued to attack, but Yang's unit, a seasoned and battle-hardened force, fought calmly and repelled the Jiangsu Army, leading to a stalemate.

On the Qingpu front, the Jiangsu Army's attack was repelled, and the Zhejiang Army launched a counterattack, forcing Qi Xiaoyuan to dispatch the reserve Central Army's Sixth Division and the Third Mixed Brigade of Anhui, stationed in Anqing, to reinforce. At this point, the only force capable of blocking Gao Yang was a detachment of the Central Army's Nineteenth Division stationed near Hefei.

On the main battlefield of Liuhé, on the afternoon of September 4, the Jiangsu Army launched an attack, and the Zhejiang Army responded with artillery. At 5 p.m., the Zhejiang Army could not withstand the Jiangsu Army's fierce attack and retreated to Luodian, with Liuhé falling to the Jiangsu Army. At 8 p.m., the Jiangsu Army pressed their advantage, and the Zhejiang Army urgently dispatched the main force of Yang Huazhao to reinforce, stabilizing the situation. At 3 a.m. on September 5, the Jiangsu Army sent 300 commandos to charge, but they were surrounded and annihilated. The Jiangsu Army quickly withdrew, and the Zhejiang Army pursued and reoccupied Liuhé. Subsequently, the Jiangsu Army's reinforcements arrived and launched several counterattacks, all of which were repelled by the Zhejiang Army. On the morning of September 6, the Zhejiang Army issued a general attack order, forcing the Jiangsu Army to retreat, and the Zhejiang Army pursued, leading to the collapse of the Jiangsu Army! In a panic, Qi Xiaoyuan urgently ordered the Central Army's Nineteenth Division stationed in Hefei to board ships in Anqing and head for support, leaving the entire Anhui Province with only scattered security units and police. Gao Yang's opportunity had come!

On the evening of September 7, the director personally led the Central Army's Nineteenth Division off the ships to stabilize the front. Just as Qi Xiaoyuan was slightly relieved, Gao Yang led the main force of the Anhui Security Brigade, about 20,000 strong, to the walls of Bengbu that night!

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